Safety device for suspended doors



June 21, 1932. H. c. BALL ET AL SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUSPENDED DOORS Filed May 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 311mm flow:

HALL sax C. B174 1.

a x; 7 TON R. inc/(sou, Wm. TE/E .5. KEL LEE,

JOSEPH Z. Wl/VDEE;

June 21, 1932. H. c. BALL ET AL SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUSPENDED DOORS Filed May 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 June-11 014:

. W IE I .MEm M LSL LKLN cs/ 37 #52 W ETUE M3 Ha k & H mm Patented June 21, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HALLECK C. BALL, CLAYTON It. JACKSON, WALTER B. KELLER, AND JOSEPH Z. WINDEB, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS' TO RICHMOND FIREPROOF DOOR COMPANY, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUSPENDED DOORS Application filed Kay 8, 1981.

The object of this invention, broadly speaking, is the provision of means whereb a door which is suspended by cables, or the like, will be absolutely safe in the event that the counj ter-balancing or the suspending means there- 'for should become broken or detached. A further object is the provision of a safety device for suspended doors, the same being simple in construction, positive in its actions, .10 automatic in its operation, and which can be manufactured, sold, and installed, at a comparatively low price.

Other objects and advantages of our invention will suggest themselves, to a mechanician, in the following description.

Means whereby the principles of our invention may be carried out in a mechanically efficient and practical manner, is shown in the accompanying two-sheets of drawings, in

whichFigure 1 is an inside face elevation of a door, showing the same mounted to be moved upwardly and downwardly in suitable tracks, and counter balancin means therefor, and showing one type 0 our invention ii in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a detail cross section, as taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figure 3 shows some of the same parts that are shown in the upper righthand portion of Fig. 1, taken from the same point of observation as Fig. 1, but taken on an enlarged scale. Figure 4 is a side elevation of our mechanism which is shown in Fig. 3, taken at right-angles thereto, and as looking from the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. Figure 5 is the same as Fig. 3, except for a slight modification of our mechanism. And Figure 6 shows a side elevation of the construction shown in Fig. 5, as taken from the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

40 Similar indices designate like parts through the several views.

In order that the construction, the operation, and the several advantages of our invention may be more fully understood and t5 appreciated, we will now take up a detailed description thereof, in which we will set forth the same as fully and as comprehensively as we may be able to do.

In the drawings we have shown examples of the parts with which our invention may be Serial No. 535,844.

associated, which parts are indicated simply by letters of reference, but our invention is not to be limited to such parts as shown. Said parts includes the door A, which is adapted to move vertically, to open or close the door 0 ning B which is formed through the wall Each side of said door, in this instance, carried a plurality of rollers D, which travel in channeled tracks E and F. Said tracks being secured to the wall C by means of suitable clips E and F, respectively. It is to be understood that said tracks, after extending upwardly to the points as indicated in Fig. 1, then curve inwardly to substantially horizontal position (not shown), in the usual manner for overhead doors.

Mounted transversely above the door opening B is the main shaft G, which revolves in suitable bearings H and I, as shown.

Secured on the shaft G, near the respective bearings H and I, are the channeled sheaves J and K, around which are secured, and adapted to wind, the respective cables L and M, the other ends of said cables being secured to the door A, in the usual manner.

Secured on the shaft G, outward from the bearing L for instance, is the spiral drum or fusee pulley N, around in the convoluted channel of which is adapted to wind the cable P, to the projecting end of which is attached the counter-weight R, which is intended to counter-balance the door A, or nearly so, in order that the door may be more easily raised or lowered.

Our invention per se resides in the mechanism in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, comprising in this instance the following elements: Numeral 1 designates a laterally extending shaft, which is rotatably mounted in the bearings 2 and 3, which are attached to the wall G, where it is located higher than is the shaft G, parallel therewith, and only a short distance from the periphery of the flanges of the sheaves K.

As shown in Fi 3, the peri heries of the two flanges of the sheave are formed thicker than normally, and they are notched, therearound, providing the teeth 4 and 5, respectively.

Rigidly secured on the shaft 1 are the two, 10!

\ spaced apart, pawls 6 and 7, which are located in alignment with the respective sets of teeth 4 and 5, with which they are adapted to engage, under certain conditions hereinafter explained in detail.

In Figs. 5 and 6.the teeth 4, and the pawl 6, are omitted, these bein the only substantial differences in the mo 'fication shown in Fi 5 and 6 from that which is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4.

Numeral 8 designates a relatively long arm, one end of which is rigidly secured to the shaft 1, from which it extends downwardl and inwardly, at an acute angle, underneat the main shaft G.

The free lower end of the arm 8 carries the horizontal shaft 9, on which may be rotatably mounted an elongated spool (not shown), or a rotatable and laterall slidable idle pulle 10, with which the cab e P contacts at times when said cable is taut. Numeral 11 designates a bracket, which is secured to the wall C, immediately below the bracket I, and it carries a pulley 12, which is in alignment with the swmg of the arm 8. Secured to the lower portion of the arm 8 is the smaller cable 13, which extends back over the pulley 12 and then projects downwardly, with the weight 14 attached to its lower end. The weight 14, it will be observed, is located on the op 'te side of the cable P, to that of the p ey whereb the gravitational pull of the weight 14 wi normally, retain the ulley 10 in contact with the cable P.

e modus operandi of our invention is substantially as follows:

Normally the roller 10- being in contact with the cable P, it is manifest that the arm 8 will thereby be retained in such position that the pawls 6 and 7 will be retained out of the path of the teeth 4 and 5, whereby the door may be raised and lowered as desired without interference from our mechanism. However, should the cable P become broken, or become detached either from the spiral drum or fusee N, or from the weight R, then evidently the roller 10 will be released, thereby allowing it, and the arm 8, to swing by vity to the position in which they are own in dotted lines in Fig. 4, thereb causing the pawls 6 and 7 to move to sue position that they will be in the path of, and be by, the respective sets of teeth 4 5 which, of course, will instantly lock the shaft G against reverse movement by reason of the gravity of the door A, and thereby retaining the said door in suspension, and preventing possible damage to person or pnggerty which would naturally eventuate wi out the interposition of our invention. And, therefore, by reason of the fact that our device will catch and hold the door before it f we accomplish the primal desideratum 0 this invention.

It is to be understood that in practice our invention may have two sets of the ratchet mechanisms, that is a double ratchet mechanism may be employed, as in Fig.3; or only one ratchet mechanism, that is a single ratchet mechanism, as in Fig. 5. It is also contemplated that either a double or a single ratchet mechanism may be employed at the other end portion of the shaft G, elther in addition to that shown, or as an alternative therefor, as desired, or as the exigencies of the case require for absolute safety.

It is also to be understood that various changes may be made in the several details herein shown, and in the arrangement of the parts, without in any manner departing from the spirit of our invention, and without sacrificing any of the advantages thereof which are new and useful and which involve invention.

Having now fully shown and described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. In combination with a shaft, a ratchet wheel secured on said shaft, a winding drum also secured on said shaft, 9. cable adapted to wind on said drum, a weight suspended by said cable and normally holding the cable taut, a pawl adapted to engage with said ratchet but retained out of engagement therewith when the cable is taut but immediately making such engagement when the cable is slackened.

2. In combination with a vertically movable door, a shaft located at a higher elevation than said door, a cable attached to the shaft and adapted to be wound around said shaft for raising and lowering the door, a counter-weight, and a cable connecting the counter-weight with said shaft to retain the door at any position where it may be left; a safety device comprising a ratchet mounted on said shaft, a pawl adapted to engage said ratchet but with said awl normally retained out of engagement with the ratchet by reason of the gravity of the counter-weight, and

means whereby in the event the counterweight cable should be released from the counter-weight said awl will engage the ratchet and hold the oor in suspension.

3. In combination with a vertically movable door, a shaft located above the door, cables attached to the door and adapted to be wound around said shaft for raising and lowering the door, a counter-weight, and a cable connecting the. counter-weight with said shaft to retain the door at any position where it may be left; a safety device comprising a plurality of ratchets mounted on said shaft, a pawl for each ratchet and each adapted to engage its respective ratchet but with said pawls normally retained out of engagement by reason of the gravity of the counter-weight exerted upon the door, and

means whereby in "the event the counterweight should be released then said pawls will be caused to engage their respective ratchets and hold the door in suspension.

HALLEOK G. BALL. CLAYTON R. JACKSON. WALTER B. KELLER. JOSEPH Z. WINDER. 

